Hello there! I've got a bit of a problem, and I would really appreciate any help/advice from anyone. Specifically, I'm wondering if western cosplay is acceptable at an anime con.

So why am I going to an anime con if I want to cosplay as something unrelated to anime? Actually, I would have loved to cosplay as my favourite anime character for this con, and that was my original plan. But I just found out that the con will be hosting a few special guests who have worked on both anime and my all-time-favourite western cartoon. I'd absolutely love to meet them, but I want to do so in my cosplay of one of their cartoon characters. Also, my cartoon-character cosplay is already complete (from a past event) but I don't have my anime-character cosplay yet and it is priced at one hundred dollars.

The biggest complaint I've heard against western cosplay at anime cons is that it has nothing to with anime, AKA the entire purpose of the con, and therefore is unacceptable. I can't argue with that- it's undeniable. But in this case, my cosplay DOES have to do with the guests of honour that will be attending.

I do know how it feels to be at an event in celebration of one thing with people who are trying to promote their own separate interests and ideas. It can be pretty annoying. And I don't want to be that person- getting the evil eye from everyone because I'm deliberately defying the con's purpose. At the same time, though, I would love to meet my idol dressed as her non-anime character- especially since that costume would be free.

If you were at this anime con, would you be okay with me in my not-anime-related cosplay of a guest of honour's character? Thank you in advance for any help!

We see non-anime cosplay at anime cons all the time! Some of the biggest cosplay "trends" right now - My Little Pony, Homestuck, and Adventure Time - are all Western in origin and are cosplayed at anime cons in droves. You'll also see cosplay of live acton series, including Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, etc., and some costumes are completely random - there hasn't been an anime con i've been to yet that didn't have SOMEONE cosplay Jesus. If you're having a good time and love your costume, most people don't care - and why should they?

There are a handful of people who believe that only anime characters should be cosplayed at an anime con, but that idea has diminished a LOT in the last ten years I've been cosplaying, as conventions themselves have moved away from strictly "anime" and more towards "pop culture." Heck, we cosplay non anime characters all the time too, and we've never felt that anyone was offended by it.

There might be rules against wearing non-anime costumes if you choose to participate in contests or performances at the con, but just for walking around it shouldn't be a problem. Personally, I think wearing a costume appropriate to a guest, anime or not, is a nice touch.

If you were at this anime con, would you be okay with me in my not-anime-related cosplay of a guest of honour's character? Thank you in advance for any help!

Yes, I would be okay with that.

I am adamant that non-anime cosplay shouldn't be donned for anime cons (though I don't "police" cons, ie:I don't give 'em the evil eye..at least I try not to ).

However, when it is for a non-anime role voiced by a con guest, I think that it is perfectly acceptable. For example, in ~2 weeks AnimeUSA will be held and they have Troy Baker. If people cosplay as "that guy from Bioshock Infinite", since he was that guy, I wouldn't mind. Same with Borderlands 2 cosplay at Nekocon 2014 (which they have, for some reason, decided to turn into Borderlands 2: The Con...a year too late).

On this, I do dislike how the "anime integrity" of cons is slipping. For example, Otakon continues to lower its official standards: for the anime music video contest they do not allow non-anime like The Legend of Korra, which I say makes sense, but then they allow My Little Pony, which makes the whole situation ambiguous and frustrating.

Edited by vrmlbasic on 09-04-13 05:18 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

Thanks! I appreciate the help And all of that makes sense. I dug a bit deeper into the con too and they basically said they try to be a welcoming environment to all of pop culture while keeping the focus on (obviously) Japanese pop culture, which is totally fair. As for a Jesus cosplay, I'll have to keep my eyes open for that!! XD

One of the best non anime cosplays I've witnessed were a couple of friends that 'cosplayed' as Brave Sir Robyn and his faithful squire from Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail, complete with mashing coconuts! at Anime Mid Atlantic in 2008. It was a riot, everywhere the duo went during the Con, one liners from the movie would be spouted and retorted in kind back from the pair. I myself don't have a problem with cartoon cosplays at anime conventions, while MLP may be a bit of stretch, I also have nothing against them, especially if they are good costumes and not hastily thrown together. In short, as long as you're having fun, and enjoy the character you're dressed up to be cosplaying as and have put a decent amount of effort to be as true to the character as possible (natural body type and any additional covering needed for compensation otherwise) then by all means go for it!